John Riddell: Democracy in Lenin's Comintern

How did Communist parties handle issues of internal discipline and democracy in Lenin’s time? The recent intense discussion within the British Socialist Workers’ Party (SWP) and beyond has heard claims that the SWP rests on the traditions of democratic centralism inherited from the Bolsheviks.

Richard Atkinson: Death and the Bedroom Tax

Some extended thoughts about Stephanie Bottrill, the woman who committed suicide because of the bedroom tax.

Dave Renton: Who Was Blair Peach?

Today marks the 35th anniversary of the killing of Blair Peach by the police. David Renton looks back at Blair Peach’s life as a poet, trade unionist and committed antifascist

The aim of this pamphlet is look at the relationship between Marxism and Republicanism through the debates that took place in the Socialist Workers Party in 1978-80. In 1980 some SWP members, dissatisfied with the party line, set up the Republican Faction. They raised many ideas which are pertinent today. The Faction is part of the hidden history of the SWP. It is significant because it began to highlight contradictions in the politics of the SWP around the issue of democracy. Today when the left is responding to the third Scottish referendum it is useful to look back to debates around the first referendum in 1979.